Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Several pompous imperial monuments that were mothballed when the Habsburgs left town
in 1918 are on display in room 8. One of the first to be removed was the equestrian bronze
of
FrancisI
,whichusedtositundertheneo-GothicbaldachinthatstillstandsonSmetanovo
nábřeží. By far the most impressive, however, is the statue of
MarshallRadecký
, scourge of
the 1848 revolution, carried aloft on a shield by eight Habsburg soldiers, a monument which
used to stand on Malostranské náměstí.
Stromovka
Tram #12 or #24 to Výstaviště Holešovice
To the west of Výstaviště lies the
královská obora
, or royal enclosure, more commonly
known as
Stromovka
, originally laid out as hunting grounds for the noble occupants of the
Hrad,and-thankstoCountChotek-nowPrague'slargestandleafiestpublicpark.Ifyou're
heading north to Troja and the city zoo, a stroll through the park is by far the most pleasant
approach. If you want to explore a little more, head west, sticking to the park's southern bor-
der,andyou'llcometoawatertunnelbuiltbythecourtpainterGiuseppeArcimboldoaspart
of Rudolf II's ambitious horticultural scheme to carry water from the Vltava to the lakes he
created a little to the north.
Further west still is Stromovka's main sight, the
Místodržitelský letohrádek
, one of the
earliest neo-Gothic structures in the city, begun way back in 1805. Originally conceived as a
royal hunting chateau, it served asthe seat ofthe governorofBohemia until 1918.Tocontin-
ueontoTrojaandthezoo,headnorthundertherailway,overthecanalandontotheCísařský
ostrov (Emperor's Island) - and from there to the right bank of the Vltava.
Troja
Though still well within the municipal boundaries, the suburb of
TROJA
, across the river
to the north of Holešovice and Bubeneč, still has a distinctly country feel to it. Its most cel-
ebrated sight is Prague's only genuine
chateau
, or
zámek
, perfectly situated against a hilly
backdrop of vines. Troja's other attraction is the city's enormously popular
zoo
.
Trojský zámek (Troja chateau)
U Trojského zámku 1 • April-Oct Tues-Thurs, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm, Fri 1-6pm; Nov & Dec Sat & Sun
10am-5pm • 120Kč • 283 851 614,
ghmp.cz
• To get here, walk from Výstaviště, catch bus #112, which
runsfrequentlyfrommetroNádražíHolešovice,ortakeaboat(April&OctSat&Sun;May-Septdaily;180Kč;
paroplavba.cz
)
from the PPS landing place on Rašínovo nábřeží (metro Karlovo náměstí)
The
Trojský zámek
was designed by Jean-Baptiste Mathey for the powerful Šternberg fam-
ily towards the end of the seventeenth century. Despite renovation and a rusty red repaint,
its plain early Baroque facade is no match for the action-packed, blackened figures of giants
and titans who battle it out on the chateau's monumental balustrades. The highlights of the
interior
are the gushing frescoes depicting the victories of the Habsburg Emperor Leopold
